Daniel | Book Overview

Overview Article

While Daniel was coming of age, Babylon was flourishing. Meanwhile, the people of Israel were being exiled from Judah to Babylonia. Could God’s people hope to enjoy life as the Lord’s chosen nation again? Through Daniel’s experiences as a captive and as a government official, and through special messages, God revealed to Daniel his power and his plan for history, showing that he would rescue his people from exile and even from death.

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Key People, Places, and Terms

Places 20

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Themes

The Seventy Sets of Seven 19 The "seventy weeks" (or sevens) in Daniel 9:24–27 have always been difficult to understand. Although it is difficult to connect them to a specific historical period, these "seventy sets of seven" are important. They s... The Little Horn 13 In the vision of the prophet Daniel, the little horn represents a king. It has human-like features, such as eyes and a mouth. This imagery is typical of apocalyptic literature. "Apocalyptic" is from a Greek word meani... Angels 9 In the Bible, angels are God's messengers who carry out his plans and tell his will to humans ( Genesis 16:7–12 ; Numbers 22:22–34 ; Judges 13:3–21 ; 2 Kings 1:3 , 15 ; Zechariah 1:4–12 ). The Hebrew Old Testament and... Symbolic Numbers 5 Numbers in Scripture have often led people to strange conclusions. Understanding ancient number symbolism can help us interpret the Scriptures better. Yet, this symbolism is not precise. We must be careful when using... Resurrection in the Old Testament 4 Many Old Testament passages suggest that the place where dead people are is a location from which people do not return (see, for example, Job 7:6–21 ; Psalm 6:5 ; Isaiah 38:18–19 ). Yet, some passages suggest the idea... Four World Empires 4 The book of Daniel describes two important visions that show how God rules over all of history. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had the first vision (chapter 2 ), and the prophet Daniel had a similar one (chapter 7 ).... God’s Promised Kingdom 3 God promised that his kingdom would come through King David ( 1 Chronicles 17:4–14 ). During his rule, David prepared for building the temple, which would be the center of God's kingdom ( 28:11–19 ). He urged Israel's... God's Rule and Power Over All Nations 3 In ancient times, most people thought each nation had its own god or gods. For example, the king of Aram thought Israel's gods were only powerful in the hills ( 1 Kings 20:23 ). When the judge Jephthah talked about th...

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What Is Good 3 Micah 6:8 , a famous and often memorized verse, answers questions from people who became confused and had lost their moral and spiritual direction. The people of Israel wanted to know how to please the Lord. In a soci... David's Response to Unfriendly Leaders 2 As David became successful, King Saul became his enemy. The Lord rejected Saul because of the king's unfaithfulness, and the Holy Spirit's anointing then rested on David ( 1 Samuel 15:1–16:14 ). When Saul needed someo... Remaining in Christ 2 The Greek term menō , often translated as “remain,” “stay,” or “abide,” appears often in Jesus’ teachings about deep, intimate, and lasting relationships. For example, Jesus said, “ If you continue in [ menō en , ‘sta... The Lord of Nations 2 Both the Old Testament and the New Testament state that the Lord is the one true God. God is supreme over all nations and peoples at all times. Even if rulers do not believe in or acknowledge him, God remains in contr... The Old Realm and the New 2 The Jewish people in Paul's time saw a clear difference between the "present evil age" and a "glorious age to come." Throughout Romans 5–8 , Paul uses these contrasting "realms" or "kingdoms" to explain our experience... The Son of Man 2 "Son of Man" was Jesus' favorite way to refer to himself. The phrase is unusual in both Greek and English. It translates the Hebrew phrase ben ’adam , which means "human being" or "person" (see, for example, Ezekiel 2... Visions 2 Visions are similar to other experiences of God's revelation, like dreams ( Genesis 37:5–10 ; 40:5–19 ). Classic examples include the prophet Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of dry bones and the prophet Isaiah’s vision... Death 2 Humans are mortal, and death is the natural end of life on earth ( Psalm 90:1–6 ). Human identity began when God breathed life into the dust of the earth and made a man ( Genesis 2:7 ). This state reverses at death wh... Human Confusion and God’s Purpose 2 God is not missing or only occasionally involved in human lives. He actively determines events in the world to fulfill his purpose ( Habakkuk 2:3 , 14 ; see also Psalm 47:9 ; Acts 17:24–26 ; Colossians 1:15–20 ). The... Apocalyptic Literature 1 Several Old Testament passages have themes similar to later Jewish apocalyptic literature ( Isaiah 24–27 ; Ezekiel 38:1–39:29 ; Daniel 7–12 ; Zechariah 9–14 ). Apocalyptic literature is a kind of writing that uses vis... The Collapse of Culture 1 Impressive cultures with creative and skilled people sometimes come to an end suddenly and completely. When digging, archaeologists often find a layer of ash between layers of impressive artifacts. The ash shows the c... Ancient Law Codes 1 Until the late 1800s, people thought the law of Moses was a unique legal code. They believed it existed nearly a thousand years before anything similar in Greek and Roman laws. Yet, archaeological excavations in Persi...

Outline

Stories about Daniel and his three friends 1–6

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Visions and messages for Daniel about the future 7–12

Use of Daniel in the New Testament

Quoted 5 times across 3 New Testament books

Total quotations 5

Connected books 3

Most-connected book Matthew 2

Most Echoed Across the New Testament

Daniel 7:13 5

In my vision in the night I continued to watch, and I saw One like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence.

Echoed in Matthew Mark Luke

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Group by NT book

Daniel	bookOverview.connections.ntReference	Compare
Daniel 7:13	Luke 21:27	Compare OT Text In my vision in the night I continued to watch, and I saw One like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence. NT Text At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud
Daniel 7:13	Matthew 24:30	Compare OT Text In my vision in the night I continued to watch, and I saw One like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence. NT Text heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds
Daniel 7:13	Matthew 26:64	Compare OT Text In my vision in the night I continued to watch, and I saw One like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence. NT Text But I say to all of you, from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven
Daniel 7:13	Mark 13:26	Compare OT Text In my vision in the night I continued to watch, and I saw One like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence. NT Text At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds
Daniel 7:13	Mark 14:62	Compare OT Text In my vision in the night I continued to watch, and I saw One like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence. NT Text I am,” said Jesus, “and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven

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